Stoke & Staffordshire

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  1. 🎧 'Do you want to be here?'

    The latest episode of BBC Radio Stoke's A Cold Wet Tuesday Night podcast is out now.

    Lucas Yeomans, Matt Sandoz and former Stoke City striker Louis Moult discuss Stoke's defeat at Southampton plus transfer talk for the final week of the window.

    Listen above or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

    Listen on BBC Sounds

  3. A photo of a man and a woman smiling together. The man is bald and is wearing a pink top. The woman has ginger hair with a fringe and is wearing a blue denim jacket.

  4. An area of burned earth with green trees in the distance. There is a blue sky with clouds.

  5. A purple and white bus with "7 Kidsgrove" on the screen at the top drives towards us along a road.

  6. Stoke results will change - Johnson

    Johnson: 'It's going to be a fight, it's going to be a battle'

    Stoke City can turn around their disappointing start to the Championship season and climb the table, says new signing Ben Johnson.

    The 26-year-old full-back joined the Potters from Ipswich Town last week on a season-long loan and made his debut in a 3-1 loss at Southampton on Saturday.

    Stoke have lost both their opening games but Johnson, who won promotion with Ipswich last season, believes fortunes can change quickly.

    "We're in a tough league - last year at Ipswich we didn't win in the first three games and we're in the situation here," Johnson told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "Last season we didn't play great in a lot of the games, it was a grind with teams making it difficult for us to play and teams will do the same here.

    "Results will change, we're going to go a goal down or a goal up and it's how we manage the games - once we get a lot of the lads back from injury that will make a big difference to the squad and the confidence of everyone."

    The defender was the second Ipswich player to move to Stoke last week with striker George Hirst signing for an undisclosed fee and Johnson believes he will prove his worth.

    "I've known him for a couple of years now - he was fantastic last season in his contribution in getting Ipswich promoted and he's an excellent signing for Stoke so let's hope we can get him up and running as soon as possible because he's not really had a pre-season," he added.

    Listen to more Stoke City interviews and content on BBC Sounds.

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  7. Gossip: Stoke reject bid for winger Thomas

    BBC gossip image with blurred out football stand in the background

    Stoke City have rejected a bid from Hull City for winger Sorba Thomas. The Potters have turned down an offer in the region of £7m for the 27-year-old Welsh international. (Hull Live)

    Find more of Tuesday's EFL gossip here.

  8. A man sitting in a radio studio with tv screens behind him is looking at the camera and holding a bear. The man is wearing a light-coloured shirt and has a purple microphone in front of him.

  9. Is Stoke's physicality an issue?

    Stoke City's Eric Bocat put under pressure by Southampton's Tom Fellows during their Championship match on SaturdayGetty Images

    Stoke City boss Mark Robins was frustrated with the quality of his substitutes in their loss to Southampton on Saturday, but former Potters defender Gareth Owen thinks the starting XI also needs to take some responsibility.

    "I'd also look at the starters because some of the changes he [Robins] probably didn't want to make," Owen told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "He didn't want to take Eric Bocat off, he didn't want to disrupt that back four, but because he was flagging from a physical perspective, he felt he needed to do that.

    "The circumstances for Stoke are a couple of players missed pre-season, two new players coming in haven't been the priority players at Ipswich so they have to get back up to speed, look how many games Sam Gallagher played last year, how many games Ben Gibson played last year.

    "The club have come out and said they get better over the course of the season but you don't want to give yourself too much to do. Certainly on the basis of that last 30 minutes, you definitely saw a difference in the physicality of the players."

    Listen to the full reaction below or on BBC Sounds here.

    Owen: ‘When you get tired you make poor decisions’

    Explore more Stoke City content on BBC Sounds

    Listen on BBC Sounds

  10. An area of hillside, the side of which has been severely damaged by a fire. There are charred remains of grass and shrubbery which was growing there and a large section of earth has been reduced to ash. There is a pick-up truck with red and yellow fire service branding on the side of it.

  11. A man with grey hair is wearing a brown and grey jacker with a circular gold logo on the breast. white writing on it says "halfpenny green wine estate". He is holding a bottle of rosé wine. He is on a balcony and beyond him is a vineyard with green grass and vines growing

  12. Southampton 3-1 Stoke City - fan's verdict

    A black banner with the words 'Your Opinions' written across in white lettering next to an image of a megaphone

    We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's match between Southampton and Stoke City.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Southampton fans

    Michael: With so much uncertainty hanging around thanks to the FA and subsequent player transfers, it's doubly hard for Southampton to make progress at the moment.

    So a win like this is vital. A testament to Tonda Eckert's coaching skills and his players' ability to overcome such a devastating end to last season.

    We stand by the Saints full of pride.

    Peter: Phew! A bit lucky! Was at the game on Saturday. Thought we looked very rusty. However, glad to get the result. We need to improve!

    Adam: Good win but need players in, especially in defence and midfield.

    Southampton's Cyle Larin and Stoke City's Djibril Soumare battle for the ball during their Championship match on SaturdayShutterstock

    Stoke City fans

    Mark: Bad game management yet again from Mark Robins, we were holding our own until he decides to change it. It went downhill from there.

    There are people at our club that seriously need to take a long hard look at themselves.

    David: Strange selection from the manager playing Ben Gibson and not Luke Graham, and also not bringing Million Manhoef on. Shows negativity from the manager instead of trying to win the game. The chance of winning was there but the negative substitutions worked against us, and then to throw the subs under the bus was poor. Please be more positive, Mr Robins.

    Craig: Very lacklustre second half for Stoke. They fell to pieces.

    Second league defeat in a row for Robins this season and an abysmal record since last January. I reckon he could well be sacked this week as a result.

  13. Stoke undercooked as substitutes struggle

    Mark Elliott
    BBC Radio Stoke’s Stoke City Commentator

    Robert Bozenik reacts after missing a chance at goal during Stoke City's game against Southampton at St Mary'sGetty Images

    Robert Bozenik reacts after missing a chance at goal against Southampton

    The glucose gels were being passed around not long after the hour mark as Stoke's players began to flag in the heat.

    Up until then, they'd been the better side but fell away along with their energy levels against a Southampton team that kept the ball well and ran the legs from under the away side.

    The Potters have rebuilt their medical department and changed how they work between games to try and avoid the number of injuries that ruined last season, and they hope to get stronger as the season goes on, but right now, they look a bit undercooked.

    That means they need their substitutes to make an impact off the bench, but the manager, Mark Robins, was left questioning the attitude and motivation of the players he brought on after the game.

    In both of their opening matches, opposition substitutes have been decisive, while Stoke's have struggled to affect the action.

    Ben Johnson looks like a good addition to the squad, and George Hirst got valuable minutes under his belt as both made their debuts.

    Stoke need a positive result pretty quickly though, to restore the optimism created by a summer of significant expenditure in the transfer market.

    Don't forget to tap the "follow" button at the top of this page to stay up to date with the latest Charlton news.

  14. The cab and first carriage of a CrossCountry train travels on tracks in the countryside. In the background trees and fields can be seen.

  15. A man with black hair, slicked back and a beard. He is wear black rimmed glasses and looking at the camera with a stern look.

  16. Alice Towers wearing a pink cycling helmet with sports sunglasses attached. She is wearing a white cycling jersey and stood in front of a green fence.

  17. The cab and first carriage of a CrossCountry train travels on tracks in the countryside. In the background trees and houses can be seen.

  18. A view of the steps leading up to the front of the Cannock Chase District Council office building.

  19. A girl with long dark hair, a silver necklace, and a black top smiles as she stands in a large function room.

  20. A brown and white dog lying down on a path with its eyes closed.

  21. An aerial image taken with a drone of fire damaged properties in Stourbridge, showing burned out homes.

  22. Robins reacts after defeat at Southampton

    Robins: ‘Clear things that need to be better’

    Stoke City boss Mark Robins spoke to BBC Radio Stoke after defeat to Southampton at St Mary's.

    For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

  23. A man is standing on a stone step and is pointing at a memorial plaque that says 'The Fire and Rescue Service'. In the background, a path winds throughout trees.

  24. A purple and white bus with "7 Kidsgrove" on the screen at the top drives towards us along a road.

  25. Left to right - A man wearing a yellow and black top stands in a charred field with his hands in his pockets; in the middle, an older woman with white/grey hair and a blue floral dress is smiling and holding a small brown tortoise; right, A scattered arrangement of Panini football stickers, all of which feature Robbie Williams, a man wearing a black football top with brand logos and the letters RW in gold type on the front.